BLOG TOUR: THE EMERALD ISLE by KATE HINDERER

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on The Emerald Isle Blog Tour. You can find a complete tour schedule at the tour homepage. My stop includes a review of Emerald Isle.

Series: A Fascination Island Book
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: July 16, 2012
Pages: N/A
Source: Received ARC from author for review.

To escape a bad break-up and fighting parents Audyn takes a job as a lifeguard at Fascination Island. The posh five-star resort lives up to its name in every way, including the strange rules the owner has about entering the water at night. Despite declaring it a boy-free summer, it isn’t long before the shy, endearing Levi and the mysterious, tattooed Tristan begin vying for her attention. When Levi tries to push his advantage and Tristan comes to the rescue, Audyn realizes there is more to both these boys and the island they inhabit. Suddenly, she’s forced to acknowledge a reality she’d never considered and to pick a side in the conflict that has been waging for decades.

An exotic and mysterious paranormal mystery, The Emerald Isle is sure to take you on a luxurious, dangerous adventure that doesn't let up until the last page.

I was intrigued by The Emerald Isle from the very beginning. Audyn comes to the resort for a summer job, to escape her less-than-perfect life in New York. But life at Emerald Isle is not the tropical perfection she seeks. The secluded island resort is surrounded in mystery, brought to stunning life when she meets Levi and Tristan. The strict rules about avoiding the water at nighttime are no joke, and not following them can get you killed. When I realized that The Emerald Isle would be a much more mysterious story than I anticipated, I was excited. I mean, two gorgeous guys with a deadly paranormal secret, both vying for the same girl...How much more fun can it get? I spent the first third of the story wondering what in the world was going on on this crazy island. What exactly was up with Levi and Tristan. Then, when the secret was revealed, I spent the rest of the book wondering how Audyn was going to make it through with her heart intact, and alive. I'll admit, much of the first half of The Emerald Isle is a bit slow-paced. But once the battle begins, it is action-packed, and I wasn't sure what would happen until the very last page.

Audyn was a strong, though sometimes distant protagonist. She knows her purpose for the summer, to get away from her home and the conflict that invades her life. Audyn isn't a bright and shiny character. She's beautiful, but she doesn't let that define her, despite the fact that guys line up for her attention. She's a bit of a loner, though she is friendly. The two guys in the story, Levi and Tristan, are even more reserved. Levi seems like an obvious choice for good boyfriend material. He is a friendly, helpful guy with a surfer boy charm. But, Levi has a mysterious, potentially dangerous side. Tristan is a bit of an opposite to Levi. With dark, long hair and prominent tattoos, he has the bad boy look down pat. Though they have a bit of a rough start, it doesn't take long for Audyn to realize that Tristan isn't what he appears to be. And that they just may have a beautiful destiny. I did enjoy the romance, though I found myself wondering just exactly why Audyn seemed destined to enter this mysterious world.

Author Kate Hinderer did a lovely job of creating a story that lured me in. I wanted to know what was going on, why these two boys were surrounded in mystery, who would make it through the battle. Her writing had a nice flow, with no awkward or stilting lines and phrases. I was invested in the characters and their story and look forward to seeing them again.

If you like a paranormal young adult story set on a tropical island and the creatures that may reside there, The Emerald Isle may be the book for you.


Favorite Quote:

"He planted a quick kiss on the side of my face and turned to leave. I watched him disappear down the path towards the beach, a smile inching its way to my lips and through my whole body. He made me feel alive for the first time in my life." (eARC, 47%)


You can purchase The Emerald Isle at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Smashwords

Kate is a journalist by profession. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications such as The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune special sections, The Milwaukee Business Journal, RelateMag, The SuperMelon, MercatorNet's Tiger Print blog, Sadie Magazine...

She started writing stories and novelettes in 7th grade. Her teachers thought she was copiously taking notes, but really she was penning stories about her classmates. That passion only increased in high school. The stories became longer and the passion for writing was deeply ingrained. As a junior she resurrected her school's student-run newspaper and opted to pursue a journalism career to harness her love for writing into a payable profession. Still the stories never stopped flowing. Kate also writes a fashion and lifestyle blog called ModlyChic.(from katehinder.blogspot.com)

Connect with Kate at:
her blog  |  GoodReads  |  Twitter